The horizontal line represents the person’s life.1585 - born1617 - died

Richelieu, Armand Du Plessis

, a celebrated cardinal and minister of France, was the third son of Francis
du Plessis, seigneur de Richelieu, knight of the king’s
orders, and grand provost of France, and was born Sept. 5,
| 1585, at Paris. He was admitted into the Sorbonne at
the age of twenty-two, obtained a dispensation from pope
PaulV. for the bishopric of Lucon, and was consecrated
at Rome in 1607. On his return, he acquired considerable interest at court, and was appointed by Mary de Medicis, then regent, her grand almoner; and in 1616 was
raised to the post of secretary of state. After the death of
one of his friends, the marshal D’Ancre, in 1617, when
Mary was banished to Blois, he followed her thither; but,
the duke de Luynes becoming jealous of him, he was
ordered to retire to Avignon, and there he wrote his
“Method of Controversy,” on the principal points of
faith.

In 1619 the king recalled Richelieu, and sent him into
Angouleme, where he persuaded the queen to a reconciliation, which was concluded in 1620; and in consequence
of this treaty, the duke de Luynes obtained a cardinal’s
hat for him from pope Gregory XV. Richelieu, continuing his services after the duke’s decease, was admitted, in
1624, into the council, through the interest of the queen,
and almost against the will of the king, who, devout and
scrupulous, considered him as a knave, because he had
been informed of his gallantries. It is even said that he
was insolent enough to aspire to queen Anne of Austria,
and that the railleries to which this subjected him were the
cause of his subsequent aversion to her. Cardinal Richelieu was afterwards appointed prime minister, head of the
councils, high steward, chief, and superintendant-generai
of the French trade and navigation. He preserved the
Isle of Rhe in 1627, and undertook the siege of Rochelle
against the protestants the same year. He completed the
conquest of Rochelle in October 1628, in spite of the
king of Spain, who had withdrawn his forces, of the king
of England, who could not relieve it, and of the French
king, who grew daily more weary of the undertaking, by
means of that famous mole, executed by his orders, but
planned by Lewis Metezeau and John Tiriot. The capture of Rochelle proved a mortal blow to the protestants,
but in France was reckoned the most glorious and beneficial circumstance of cardinal Richelieu’s administration.
He also attended his majesty to the relief of the duke of
Mantua in 1629, raised the siege of Casal, and, at his return, compelled the protestants to accept the treaty of
peace which had been concluded at Alais, and completed
| the ruin of their party. Six months after this, cardinal
Richelieu, having procured himself to be appointed lieutenant-general of the army beyond the mountains, took Pignerol, relieved Casal a second time, which was besieged
by the marquis Spinola, defeated general Doria, by means
of the duke de Monttnorenci at Vegliana, July 10, 1630,
and made himself master of all Savoy. LouisXIII. having
returned to Lyons, in consequence of sickness, the queenmother, and most of the nobility, took advantage of this
circumstance to form plots against Richelieu, and speak
ill of his conduct to the king, which they did with so much
success, that Louis promised the queen to discard him.
The cardinal’s ruin now seemed inevitable, and he was
actually preparing to set out for Havre-de Grace, which
he had chosen for his retreat, when cardinal de la Valette,
knowing that the queen had not followed her son to Versailles, advised him first to see his majesty. In this interview, he immediately cleared himself from all the accusations of his enemies, justified his conduct, displayed the
advantages and necessity of his administration, and wrought
so forcibly upon the king’s mind by his reasoning, that,
instead of being discarded, he became from that moment
more powerful than ever. He inflicted the same punishments upon his enemies which they had advised for him;
and this day, so fortunate for Richelieu, was called “The
Day of Dupes.” Those who had the misfortune to incur
his displeasure, certainly did not all deserve the penalties
to which he doomed them; but he knew how to make himself master of their fate, by appointing such judges to try
them as were at his disposal. That abominable method of
taking the accused from their lawful judges, had, in the
preceding century, served as a means for the families of
condemned persons to get their characters restored; after
which the French had no reason to fear its revival; but
Richelieu hesitated not to adopt it, though at the risque of
general odium, as being favourable to his designs. By
thus making himself master of the lives and fortunes of the
mal-contents, he imposed silence even on their murmurs.
This artful minister, being now secure of his lasting ascendancy over the king, and having already accomplished
one of the two great objects which he had proposed to
himself from the beginning of his administration, which
were, the destruction of the protestants, and the humbling
the too great power of the house of Austria, began now
| to contrive means for executing this second undertaking.
The principal and most efficacious method employed by
the cardinal with that view, was a treaty he concluded,
January 23, 1631, with Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, for currying the war into the heart of Germany. He
also formed a league with the duke of Bavaria, secured to
himself Lorrain, raised part of the German princes against
the emperor, treated with Holland to continue the war
wirh Spain, favoured the Catalonians and Portuguese
when they shook off the Spanish yoke, and, in short,
made use of so many measures and stratagems, that he
completely accomplished his design. Cardinal Richelieu
was carrying on the war with success, and meditating on
that glorious peace, which was not concluded till 1648,
when h died in his palace at Paris, worn out by his long
toils, December 4,“1642, aged fifty-eight. He was buried
at the Sorbonne, where his mausoleum (the celebrated Girardon’s master-piece) may be seen. He is considered
as one of the most complete statesmen, and ablest politicians, that France ever had. Amidst all the anxieties
which the fear of his enemies must necessarily occasion,
he formed the most extensive and complicated plans, and
executed them with great superiority of genius. It was
cardinal Richelieu who established the throne, while yet
shaken by the protestant factions, and the power of the
House of Austria, and made the royal authority completely
absolute, and independent, by the extinction of the petty
tyrants who wasted the kingdom. In the mean time he
omitted nothing which could contribute to the glory of
France. He promoted arts and sciences; founded the
botanical garden at Paris called the king’s garden; also
the French academy, and the royal printing-office; built
the palace since called the Palais Royal, and gave it to his
majesty; rebuilt the Sorbonne (of which he was provisor)
in a style of kingly magnificence; and prepared for all the
splendour of Louis the Fourteenth’s reign. His enemies,
says the abbe L’Atocat, unable to deny his great talents,
have reproached him with great faults; irregularity of conduct, unbounded ambition, universal despotism, from which
even the king, his master, did not escape; for he left
him, as they express it, only the power of curing the evil;
a vanity and ostentation which exceeded the dignity of the
throne itself, where all was simplicity and negligence,
while the cardinal’s court exhibited nothing but pomp and
| splendour; unexampled ingratitude to his benefactress,
queen Mary de Medicis, whom he inhumanly compelled
to end her da*ys in Germany, in obscurity and indigence;
and, finally, his revengeful temper, which occasioned so
many cruel executions; as those of Chalais, Grandier, the
marechal de Marillac, M. de Montmorenci, Cinqmars, M.
de Thou, &c. Even the queen, for having written to the
duchess de Chevreuse, Richelieu’s enemy, and a fugitive,
saw all her papers seized, and was examined before the
chancellor Sequier. Mad. de la Fayette, mad. de Hautefort, and father Caussin, the king’s confessors, were all
disgraced in consequence of having offended this despotic
minister. But, says his apologist, there are many points
to be considered with respect to these accusations: it appears certain, from a thousand passages in the life of this
celebrated cardinal, that he was naturally very grateful,
and never proceeded to punishment but when he thought
state affairs required it; for which reason, when in his last
sickness, his confessor asked” if he forgave his enemies?“he replied,” I never had any but those of the state.“At
the head of his” Political Testament“may be seen his
justification of himself on the subject of these bloody executions, with which he has been so much reproached. It
is equally certain, that he never oppressed the people by
taxes or exorbitant subsidies, notwithstanding the long
wars he had to carry on; and that, if he was severe in
punishing crimes, he knew how to distinguish merit, and
reward it generously. He bestowed the highest ecclesiastical dignities on such bishops and doctors as he knew to
be men of virtue and learning; placed able and experienced generals at the head of the armies, and entrusted public business with wise, punctual, and intelligent men. It
was this minister who established a navy. His vigilance
extended through every part of the government; and,
notwithstanding the cabals, plots, and factions, which were
incessantly forming against him during the whole course of
his administration (and which must have employed great part of his time) he left sufficient sums behind him to carry
on the war with glory; and France was in a more powerful
and flourishing state at the time of his decease than when
LouisXIV. died. After stating these facts, Richelieu’s
enemies areinvited to determine whether France would have
derived more advantage from being governed by Mary de
Medicis, Gaston of Orleans, &c. than by this cardinal
| The estate of Richelieu was made a dukedom in his favour,
in 1631, and he received other honours and preferments.
Besides the” Method of Controversy“he wrote, 2.” The
principal points of the Catholic Faith defended, against
the writing addressed to the king by the ministers of Charenton.“3.” The most easy and certain Method of converting those who are separated from the Church.“These
pieces are written with force and vivacity. He wrote also,” A Catechism,“in which he lays down the doctrine of
the church, in a clear and concise manner and a treatise
of piety, called,” The Perfection of a Christian.“These
are his theological works; and they have been often
printed: but that which is most read, and most worthy of
being read, is his” Political Testament," the authenticity
of which has been doubted by some French writers, particularly Voltaire. The cardinal also had the ambition to
be thought a dramatic poet; and, says lord Chesterfield,
while he absolutely governed both his king and country,
and was, in a great degree, the arbiter of the fate of all
Europe, he was more jealous of the great reputation of
Corneille, than of the power of Spain; and more flattered
with being thought (what he was not) the best poet, than
with being thought (what he certainly was) the greatest
statesman in Europe; and affairs stood still, while he was
concerting the criticism upon the Cid. 1

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